25,000 Runners ‘Make it Count’ in London with the Nike British 10K

While sport-locker.net sits with its feet up eagerly awaiting the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, 25,000 runners demonstrated how they are making this year count, by hitting the streets of central London for the most interactive British 10K powered by Nike+ the city has ever seen.

In a year when the eyes of the world are on London, athletes of all ages and abilities gathered at the start line at Wellington Arch for a warm-up with event host Reggie Yates.

Runners including key Special Olympics’ ambassadors and ten Special Olympics athletes from around the country then set-off on a spectacular 10 kilometre journey around London’s world-famous landmarks.

Runners poured down Pall Mall, through Trafalgar Square and along Embankment to St Paul’s Cathedral, before turning back and heading towards Westminster Bridge. Big Ben then provided the backdrop for the final push towards the finish line at Whitehall.

To keep runners motivated and help them achieve their goals, the British 10K powered by Nike+ delivered a truly innovative race day experience which saw elements of nikeplus.com, the world’s largest running community, brought to life along the race route.

Entrants signed up to the British 10K App pre-race, enabling their friends and family to cheer them on with personal messages sent via Facebook and displayed live on giant digital screens.

Some of Nike’s biggest names including marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe and 5,000m World Champion Mo Farah also helped bring the cheers with inspirational film footage for runners as they passed through Blackfriars Tunnel.

With 25,000 runners striving for their best in the UK’s third largest running event, Kenyan athlete Edwin Kipyego emerged as the race winner in a time of 27:49.

Even those that were unable to make it to London were able to take part by connecting to the Nike+ community and joining virtual British 10K runs from Nike stores in Exeter, Liverpool, Glasgow and Cardiff.

Ten Special Olympics GB athletes from across the country and Special Olympics’ ambassadors also joined thousands of runners raising money to support the charity.

Ambassadors supporting the charity at the British 10K included football legends Ray Wilkins MBE and Phil Brown, football pundit Chris Kamara, Olympian Katharine Merry, six-time Olympian Graham Bell, World and Olympic Champion Canoeist Anna Hemmings MBE, and former M People singer Heather Small.

Did you run in the ‘Make it Count’ Nike British 10K’? What event are you most looking forward to seeing at the London 2012 Olympic Games? Let us know in the comments section below or on our Twitter and Facebook pages.